Deeper regional cooperation pushed as Asia cruise tourism advances at ACC meet
TOURISM Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco joins regional tourism leaders during the Asia Cruise Cooperation Annual Regional Meeting held on Monday (15 December) with the Philippines hosting partner destinations to advance coordinated cruise tourism development across Asia. Seated (from left) are DoT Undersecretary Verna Buensuceso, Hong Kong Tourism Board Mega Events, MICE and Cruise general manager Marilyn Tham, DoT Secretary Frasco, South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Deputy director Lee Jong-Geun, DoT director Paulo Benito Tugbang.
Photograph courtesy of dot
The Department of Tourism (DoT) underscored the need for stronger regional cooperation to guide the next phase of Asia’s cruise tourism growth as it hosted the Asia Cruise Cooperation (ACC) Annual Regional Meeting on Monday (15 December), bringing together key government and industry stakeholders from across the region.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco emphasized that collaboration among destinations, ports, and cruise lines is essential to ensuring that cruise tourism growth remains sustainable, inclusive, and beneficial to host communities.
“If there is one lesson the ACC teaches, it is this: no destination succeeds alone. Collaboration across ports, cruise lines, and governments ensures every traveler’s experience is seamless, enjoyable, and meaningful,” Secretary Frasco said in her keynote address.
Regional alliance
The Asia Cruise Cooperation, launched in 2016, is a regional alliance composed of Hong Kong, Taiwan, Hainan and Xiamen in China, the Philippines and South Korea, serving as a platform for coordinated cruise itinerary development, market intelligence sharing, and the collective advancement of cruise tourism across Asia.
Secretary Frasco said the Philippines will continue to deepen cooperation with cruise lines as partners in itinerary development, strengthen the exchange of market insights and operational best practices, and align the full visitor journey across destinations, while keeping sustainability at the center of cruise tourism growth.
With Asia’s cruise market continuing to expand, Secretary Frasco noted that hosting the ACC Annual Regional Meeting allows participating destinations to shape a shared regional direction that balances economic growth with cultural exchange and community development.